Robert (Bobby) Lee Hardin, 81, of Muncie, Indiana, passed away on December 5, 2025.  He was born on November 3, 1944, in Morrow, Ohio, to Lloyd and Dorothy (Hardin) Smith.

Bobby grew up in Muncie, Indiana, with his grandparents, Lee “Hickory” and Viola Hardin.  He officially earned his GED from Wapahani High School in 1986.

He joined the military in 1962, serving as a Drill Sargent in the National Guard.  After that time, he began his career as a mold machine operator with Delco Remy (Delphi) and happily retired from Plant 20 after completing 38 years in 2000.

He had a love for all things cars and trucks.  He thoroughly enjoyed working on cars and trucks, and even more so enjoyed the negotiation process of buying and selling many vehicles throughout his life.  After retirement, his greatest passion was restoring old street rods and attending car shows often, most recently the 2025 Ducktail run in September.

He is survived by his daughter Bethany Allen (John); his sister, Lavina Reimer (Walter); his only grandson, Elijah John Lee Allen; and his nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Dorothy Smith, his grandparents, Lee and Viola Hardin, and his siblings Michael Smith and Becky Maichel.

Memorial services will be held at Parson Mortuary on December 27, 2025, at 2:00 PM.  Calling hours are from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hope 2 – Watering the Thirsty at hope2.org.